Routinely Itemised: RPG #383

It’s another late, but not Saturday-afternoon, delivery of TTRPG news from around the web.

Today’s summary of RPG news summaries are:

• The community TTRPG Collective turns three and is running a large Itch bundle.
• Groupfinder and StartPlaying both released data sets.
• UKGE has had to apologise for the accidental use of banned AI-art.
• Kobold Press is making Shadowdark games now, just after losing Celeste Conowitch to WotC.
• WotC will respect the Union vote, but insists on a vote.

There’s no AI used in this summary, but I do use shuffle and canonicate functions to turn my huuuuge spreadsheet of Kickstarter notes into a bullet-point list. I’ve freshened that up for this week, and I suspect you’ll notice!

There’s quite a bit of convention news this week, including the growing TAGs Festival for Edinburgh. On my radar, though, is next month’s Edinburgh week for Scotland Loves Anime. That’ll steal my Friday and weekend for a good cause; it might disrupt regular operations here, but there is a TTRPG connection insofar as we’ve seen a surge of licensed anime tabletop games this year.

Do you have any conventions in your schedule before the end of the year?

On with the TTRPG news!

Spotlight: Slithy Tove Games.

RPG news from Geek Native

• Geek Native interviews (and asks some awkward questions) about Against the Starmaster of Massimiliano Caracristi.
• We’ve a big interview with Antiquarian Games about the tactical TTRPG L.O.R.E. launches on Kickstarter.
• After banning gen AI, UKGE accidentally uses gen AI.
• Kobold Press is making Dark Halls, a Shadowdark game and Kelsey Dionne is involved.
• Groupfinder has 10,000 users and their data shows Daggerheart challenging Pathfinder for position two.
• StartPlaying researches what parents see in kids playing TTRPGs.
• Hit Point Press’ research shows the interest in Fetch My Blade is part of a solo TTRPG boom.
• Matthew Mercer will be playing Shattered Legends Daggerheart with vtubers.
• Good news, the non-profit RPG Research is still alive.
• Geek Native reviewed the teaser one-shot from Joust Studio Shore of the Doarahin.
• We’ve got news from Christian Nommay as Knight Errant Media revives Titan Effect Zero for an October BackerKit launch.
• Luke Gygax teams back up with Gooey Cube for The Temple of Inquinatious Evil.
• In other crowdfunding news, we take a look at 13 Omens, the nearly over Savage SLA and Sealed Stories.

Support: Patreon.

RPG news from around the web

• Christian Hoffer explains that Wizards of the Coast responds to D&D unionization effort, says they will respect results of union vote.
• Writing for Bleeding Cool, Gavin Sheehan reports on Critical Role Unveils Three Dates For Its 2027 Live Shows Schedule.
• Meanwhile, Rich Johnston covers the Dark Horse and WotC team-up to bring Dan Abnett and Nil Vendrell together for a Dark Sun graphic novel series.
• At TTRPG Insider, Christopher Hutton writes up Eberron Creator Keith Baker Experiments with Daggerheart in “Ecto-Punk”-inspired Eidolon: The Ghost Market.
• R. Talsorian Games hires Charlie Eberspacher (aka Emmerron).
• Saturday is Edinburgh’s Tabletop & Graphic Storytelling Festival.
• On the 25th there will be the inaugural Cochrane RPG Convention.
• In November, World’s Lair Returns to London’s Southbank.
• In a press release, EXG Pro announces that they are expanding into Tabletop Crowdfunding with Official Dungeons & Dragons Xanathar Collectible.
• Writing for Collider, Hannah Hunt reports on ‘Dungeon Masters’ Officially Kills Off a ‘World of Warcraft’ Hero. [Spoilers]
• The Official Fighting Fantasy blog noted that Sir Ian Livingstone receives the Romics d’Oro.
• Writing about Project Lamordia, Vice’s Denny Connolly says Dungeons and Dragons Adds A New Playable Species and 4 Backgrounds.
• Vice also runs Dungeons and Dragons – D&D Beyond Adds Highly-Requested Feature (custom stickers and tokens).
• Sneak Energy will launch a Dungeon & Dragons drink for Halloween.
• DriveThruRPG has a 30% off Halloween sale.

Support: Fight the Algorithm

RPG reviews and interviews from around the web

• Pookie at Reviews from R’lyeh has taken a look at Desperate Measures, Arkham Horror’s Three Days to the Big Easy and Dungeons & Kittens’ quickstart An Afternoon Outing.
• Jason Volk takes a first look at Pathfinder Game Night The Dragon’s Crown.
• Ill Met by Morrslieb reviews AD&D 1e’s 16 Ravenloft.
• Elf Maids & Octopi review the latest Pendragon.
• Wargamer’s Gab Hernandez reviews The sapphic sci-fi TTRPG inspired by Marathon embodies indie chaos.
• Backwards Tabletop has an interview with Thomas Manuel on Theatre and RPGs (plus Metatheatre and Metagames).
• Chaosium’s Bridgett Jeffries interviews Reviews from R’lyeh’s Pookie.

RPG new releases

• Schwalb Entertainment has published the $4.99 Mysteries of the Old Gods: Sister Moon.
• Supporting the Kickstarter, Paizo has released the free to download 13 Omens: The Haunting of Hollybrook.
• Paizo has also continued adding their impressive collection to DriveThruRPG and have been busy this week. Games include Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Beginner Box and Starfinder Galaxy Guide.
• Catalyst Game Labs’s latest silver best seller is Shadowrun: Anarchy 2.0.
• Kids in the Attic have Witching Hour: A Halloween Horror Roleplaying Game.
• Darrington Press has released the Demiplane Nexus version of Candela Obscura Quickstart Guide.
• Onyx Path Publishing has hit publish on the Storypath Curseborne Compact Edition.
• AGM Games gives us a themed DRAW! The Western TTRPG.
• Alonso Maria de Luna is offering a Pay What You Want Seeker quickstart.
• Kenamun gives us the Cantica playtest.
• Basic Action Games tempts us with Horrifying + Fantastic Creatures.
• Handiwork Games supports their latest TTRPG with the Cold City Hot War art book.
• In physical goodies, you can grab new D&D Adventure Dice.

RPG bundle deals

• Save $155 (87%) with the 3rd Anniversary Bundle of the TTRPG Collective with Whimsy Machine and Itch.
• Save $97.97 (57%) in Storm Bunny Studios’ Spooky Season 2026 bundle.
• Save $9.99 (11%) with Skydawn Game Studios’ Esper Genesis Core Foundry VTT bundle.
• Save $2.48 (28%) via Odd Rogue’s 5e Beginner Adventures bundle.
• Save $1.38 (33%) in the Terra RPG 5e Book of Monsters bundle.

RPG ideas, tips and discoveries

• Shadomain asks What makes a game easier for new GMs?.
• Skeleton Code Machine has a good article on Games, lookups, and the science of interruptions.
• Tom Cardy has an animated murderhobo music video.

RPG Crowdfunding

There’s more! You can catch up with the Kickstarter campaign we’ve written up in more detail at Kickstarter watch. Here are some noteworthy industry projects to mention:

• Mother Sorrow’s Guide to Witchcraft is a Kickstarter project by Chamomile Has A Project billed as “A 5e sourcebook of garden occultism.”
• No Apologies Workshop is developing Hallow Kitty Magic D20 Dice. Your Spooky Fun Fortune Teller, described as “Halloween-Themed Jumbo D20! Answers Your Questions & Tells Your Future! Ready for ALL your Favorite TTRPG games.”
• Ohio Adventures Vol. 1 is a Kickstarter project by Bryn Wolanski summarised as “These 3 one-shot adventures blend TTRPG mechanics with real-life Ohio history, folklore, and more! Compatible with 5E.”
• Diving Hippo Studio kickstarts Handcrafted Cloud Glass Gemstone Dice. The pitch: “Dreamy polyhedral cloud glass sun moon fantasy theme dice for collections, dungeons and dragons, board games, rpg and tabletop games.”
• Black Hills Studios presents 500+ RPG Fantasy Abandoned Magical City Terrain Set -3D STLs. The pitch: “Tiles, walls, buildings, bridges, stairs for forsaken magical city that something never left. Modular, FDM & Resin ready. Own forever.”
• Jason seeks funding for Blade Bearer: A Fantasy RPG of Magic, Mystery & Bio-Organics, inviting backers to: “Enter a world of Obscurus, Battle tested Lineages, and dangerous adventures in this new tabletop role-playing game.”
• ‘Dystopian Mythos’ TTRPG from Tony Garcia is rallying backers, promising “Roleplay High Fantasy in Post Apocalypse Europe…ruled by the Fae-folk of lore! [A Dystopian Dawn World Book].”
• CraftRiot brings us A Tome of Blood & Bone for D&D, touted as “A tome of sinister magic items, powerful spells & rites drawn from blood, bone, and echoes of the dead. Fully compatible with DnD 5e.”
• Tales & Tastes proposes Halfling Culinary Traditions: A 5E Culinary Guide. The pitch: “A fusion of D&D flavor and practical cooking, showcasing Halfling cuisine alongside a wealth of D&D 5E‑ready material.”
• One-Shot Wonders: Daggerheart – 100 NEW Adventures is a Kickstarter project by Roll & Play Press promising “The award-winning adventure book series is coming to Daggerheart! Over 100 new adventures for every official campaign frame.”
• Roll for Outfit 2: DnD Witchy Clothes from Vault of ManyThings is now live, touted as “The ultimate D&D 5E medieval magical clothing for witches, warlocks, wizards, sorcerers—and every adventurer who dresses to cast.”
• Thirteenth Moon Games is running a campaign for Path of the Hedgewitch: 2nd Print Run, inviting backers to: “Help us get a second printing of our cozy, solo-play game.”
• Planet Khaos Publishing presents Quests of Kh’Aos. The pitch: “A dangerous fantasy TTRPG where exploration, hard choices, deep character building, and player discoveries shape a living world.”
• Fatewheel: A Roulette-Inspired D20 Roller from Dicelette is funding now, summarised as “A tabletop D20 roller with a spinning steel ball, four colorways, and an optional color-based way to decide.”
• CritRoll: A 6-in-1 Mechanical Dice Roller is a Kickstarter project by Mythara Studio promising “A compact mechanical dice roller featuring D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, and D20. One press spins all six wheels, ready for your next RPG adven.”
• Alex1805Kings has launched Medieval Kingdoms: Fantasy RPG Battlemaps, promising “170 rpg battle maps.”
• Nicholas Diaz seeks funding for Realms of Legacy, promising “A swashbuckling space fantasy TTRPG. Sail arcane ships across the Veil, chart unknown realms, and build a legacy with your crew.”
• Nick Francia is developing Eldritch Automata: From the Ashes, opening with: “Aid us in fighting back the dark in the rescue campaign for the newly independent mecha-horror TTRPG.”
• AudioRPG seeks funding for Forgotten Chambers: Beyond the World’s Largest Dungeon, setting the scene: “Expand your adventures outside of the World’s Largest Dungeon with this new adventure book, map book, and audiobook for 5E.”
• Jamie McCarroll kickstarts Southeast Board Game Convention 2026. The pitch: “Bring More People to the Gaming Table.”
• Ludonarrative Dissidents Podcast: Season 4 from Ross Payton is rallying backers, billed as “The fourth season of this acclaimed deep-dive TTRPG review podcast. Join our new book club and read up on game design theory.”
• Tides of Ruin from Brian Hendershot is rallying backers, promising “A swashbuckling levels 1–5 campaign for both 5e and Daggerheart — trade wars, a haunted abbey, and a slow-rising dread.”
• Paizo Inc brings us 13 Omens: A Horror RPG, setting the scene: “Step into the darkness.”
• Draw20 presents Toil & Trouble – Oracle Deck – Solo RPG – D20 Cards. The pitch: “A Daily Oracle for introverted or extroverted witches, alike – A dynamic, evocative Solo Journaling RPG – 2 decks of D20 Dice Cards.”
• Ty Hulse presents Witch & Fairy: One Shot Cozy Quests. The pitch: “Cozy, dialogue focused one shot quests in which you play the role of witch, working and negotiating with the fey.”
• RPG Adventure Stamps: World Maps is a Kickstarter project by Jorrit Schlüter described as “3D-printable stamps & tools set to quickly create playable TTRPG adventures, including maps & tokens for characters, monsters & more.”
• Dragon’s Verdict: 6-in-1 Mechanical Metal RPG Dice Set is a Kickstarter project by SURPASS inviting backers to: “Pull a slider, watch the ceramic ball roll, read your roll. A complete D4-D20 RPG dice roller: six mechanical dials in one metal body.”
• The Witch’s Larder: A Dark Fairy Tale for Fifth Edition from Once & Never Press seeks funding, summarised as “Follow the crumbs. Mind the oven. An illustrated dark fairy tale adventure for fifth edition, with maps and a digital Table Kit.”
• TYLYX Hobby Storage from Richard M has gone live, pitching “Free your desk! Tile-based modular hobby storage for Skadis pegboards.”
• Jester Knight Games introduces Gats & Grimoires. The pitch: “Magic never disappeared. It bought a motorcar, joined a Family, and learned to carry a gun.”
• Fantasy Bags is crowdfunding 300 Fantasy Creatures – Magical Beasts, Monsters & Familiars, summarised as “300 unique 3D printable fantasy creatures, from magical companions and mythical beasts to adorable monsters, dragons, and elementals.”
• Spores, Steel & Shadows 270+ RPG Battle Maps is a Kickstarter project by Agnieszka Polanowska pitching “Three Underground Civilizations. Hundreds of Battlefields. Endless Adventures.”
• Skylark Minis brings us Gravemaw Delve, described as “Subterranean Tortle Horror.”
• RPG & Tabletop Modular Organizer: 3D Printable GM System STL is a Kickstarter project by FIERCE FEMALES FACTORY promising “A fully modular, FDM-optimized gaming ecosystem. Transforms from a premium magnetic carry case into an epic, atmospheric dice tower.”
• 5e – Magical Might Artifacts Book 2: 100 Magic Items & Cards is a Kickstarter project by Elven Foundry opening with: “Discover 100 illustrated magical items with rich lore, unique abilities, and attunement rituals, plus a companion card deck.”
• Jay Temple shares Dice Cards. The pitch: “Flip the card. Get your point.”
• The Witch of Myrkholt — A Solo Gamebook of the Deck of Fate from The Witch of Myrkholt is funding now, described as “A solo gamebook of witchcraft and fate in a world 40 years in the making. Plays in your browser. Comes with art cards.”
• R. Nelson Bailey is developing Cloud & Stone: A DUNGEON DELVE Adventure Duo, described as “Fantasy RPG modules for 1st/2nd Edition Advanced D&D (AD&D), B/X-BECMI D&D, Pathfinder, OSRIC, DCC, Swords & Wizardry, & OSR systems.”
• Fletchwind: Out of the Cities is a Kickstarter project by Hilander RPGs summarised as “System-agnostic tools for creating fantasy cities, plus urban adventures by Arnold Kemp, Wuggy, and Willem-Jan. Statted for Cairn 2e.”
• Tarik Havoc is running a campaign for Havoc Bound: An illustrated collection of DnD 5e Spells, billed as “A DnD Spellbook with 60 illustrated spells to help bring more magic to your campaign! Each spell was made by a human wizard. No AI Ever.”
• Robert James brings us GOTHIC: THE 13TH NIGHT, described as “A kingdom plunged into endless night. Vampires rule, ghouls feast. Explore a gothic open world and restore the broken pact. Zero prep.”

[What’s this chart? We use Kickstarter Heat to measure how busy the crowdfunding season is.]

Do you know of any RPG news sources we might not know? If so, please let us know or leave a comment below.